Autobiographical

So the World of Learning and IWW tests had been passed. Now I was ready to work on the top title put out by Europa Publications. However, there was a small issue of my position. I had been told by management that they had been impressed by my performance at World of Learning, but more particularly at IWW and running the title on my own. They wanted to offer me the position of second editor on the annual Europa World Year Book (EWYB). The leading title at the publisher provides an executive summary of each country’s geography and history, plus statistics, as well as a detailed update of political and economic developments over the past 12 months. Naturally I was pleased and accepted.

However, the decision and my acceptance were roundly condemned by other employees who informed me that another staffer Jill who had been working on EYWB for the past year was due for promotion to editor owing to length of service.  I was out of line. She was admittedly extremely competent. Consequently, I went back to management and stated that I would be ready to revert to assistant editor and a lower salary until it was my turn in the pecking order -or words to that effect – it is hard to remember today. This proposal was rejected out of hand. Instead Jill was promoted as third editor for the publication, a new revolution for that title, which had until then only required two.

So now the air was cleared and the grumbling stopped. I was permanent editor and took charge of the team responsible for specific parts of the world. I was given amongst other countries the Soviet Union where the political situation appeared to be changing almost daily due to the reforms being introduced by the Secretary General of the Communist Party Mikhail Gorbachev and his well-known concepts of perestroika and glasnost. They were admittedly vain efforts, as everyone was about to see.

There were six of us in that room, all wearing jeans, working on our manual typewriters, reading the newspapers with an office coffee or tea and biscuits at our leisure. Imagine turning up for work, getting your coffee and then spending the next couple of hours reading the papers and chatting. It is true that the perusal of the press (The Guardian, Times, Daily Telegraph and publications related to the countries we were covering) was used in the updating of information. I really do understand why some people are still there, as the atmosphere was incredible. I made some good friends there, including Gareth, Peter Cossins, a keen cyclist and journalist who was to write books about his international travel in Latin America and marry Elaine, moving with her to live in France after the 2016 Brexit vote, and Simon whom I would hang out with over the years who eventually moved to Marseille with his French partner. 

And then of course I have to mention here Chris Middleton, an extremely bright spark with whom I reconnected recently. He is a frequent commentator on LinkedIn and elsewhere on AI and robotics and put out a wonderful autobiography of his childhood, which is also harrowing in parts, called An Insignificant Boy, available from Amazon and Waterstones. I wrote a glowing review about it on the latter’s website. I would recommend it to anyone. He is a true innovator. I attach a link to Waterstones and the latest version: https://www.waterstones.com/book/an-insignificant-boy-new-authors-edition/chris-middleton/9798287179656.

I remember one amusing incident in 1989. A smartly-dressed young Indian popped into the room, gasped and then articulated in perfect English: “I planned to sell you publishing software, but now realise that I have entered the museum of publishing.” I believe he had come to offer QuarkXPress and Aldus Pagemaker. Well, he had no buyers in our typing heaven or elsewhere at the publisher. 

I was also fortunate that 1 was allowed in the summer months of 1990 to update the chapter on the Soviet Union from home. I had referred to the need to carry out more research at libraries and other outlets and work out what was most relevant in the changes happening in the Soviet Union. I also preferred this scenario as I could tap away on an Amstrad word processor that my dad had leant me. While hardly the match for any computer, Alan Sugar’s contraption still proved far easier to use than a manual or electric typewriter. Naturally, I would turn go to the office regularly. 

The period from July 1989 to December 1990 was a good time in all respects. We had moved to a bigger one-bedroom flat off Edgware Road with the walls covered with expensive paintings and the furniture of a different age. While expensive, this was still central London and good exercise as it took half an hour to walk to work. At lunchtime I would sometimes queue up to buy tickets from a kiosk in Leicester Square to see plays that evening at 10 pounds a seat. 

As I mentioned earlier, there was a local pub near Europa Publications where we would go to welcome new arrivals, celebrate birthdays and while away the day, especially in the summer. Similarly, a local Italian pasta bar/restaurant on Greek Street was a regular haunt. I also made the most of the 100 Club on Oxford Street where I heard some great jazz, as well as Ronnie Scott’s, where I had the good fortune to catch Art Blakey performing in his pyjamas with his Jazz Messengers.

And politically, it was fantastic to be in London that winter when everyone rushed out to buy champagne to celebrate the end of Margaret Thatcher’s reign as Prime Minister in November 1990 driven primarily by the much maligned and abortive Poll Tax.. Quite aptly, the top song in the charts right then was the classic by Vanilla Ice: Ice Ice Baby. 

However, if truth to be told, I was bored of living in England. I enjoyed the work and loved the people and atmosphere and no doubt would have been more than content with a career there. However, Robin was also pushing for a change, but not the one that I expected. A desire for something different had been inspired in part by a holiday we had taken to Moscow, St Petersburg and Kyiv in 1989, and a meeting during that trip which would alter my future irrevocably.